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WORLD DIABETES DAY 2014 – HEALTHY EATING AND DIABETES

The World Diabetes Day 2014 campaign marks the first of a three-year (2014-16) focus on healthy living and diabetes. This year's activities and materials will specifically address the topic of healthy eating and its importance both in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and the effective management of diabetes to avoid complications.

The latest estimates from the IDF Diabetes Atlas indicate that there are 382 million people living with diabetes worldwide. By 2035, 592 million people or one person in ten will have the disease. A further 316 million people are currently at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with the number expected to increase to almost 500 million within a generation. What makes the pandemic particularly menacing is that throughout much of the world, it remains hidden. Up to half of all people with diabetes globally remain undiagnosed.

These facts and figures reiterate the importance of urgent action. Most cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented and the serious complications of diabetes can be avoided through healthy lifestyles and living environments that encourage and facilitate healthy behaviour.

The key messages of the campaign aim to raise awareness of how the healthy choice can be the easy choice and the various steps that individuals can take to make informed decisions about what they eat. Special focus will be placed on the importance of starting the day with a healthy breakfast.

All campaign activities will be continue to be informed by the slogan "Diabetes: protect our future."

The campaign will continue to promote the importance of immediate action to protect the health and well-being of future generations and achieve meaningful outcomes for people with diabetes and those at risk.

COMING SOON: GO BLUE FOR BREAKFAST!

The World Diabetes Day 2014 campaign will see the launch of a new initiative to engage the global diabetes community this November. We will be encouraging everyone to GO BLUE FOR BREAKFAST by organising a healthy breakfast activity in their local community on World Diabetes Day - 14 November - or during the month of November. The aim is for associations and groups of individuals in every country represented by the International Diabetes Federation and the wider world to host one or more healthy breakfasts to raise awareness of diabetes and the importance of eating healthy to prevent and manage the condition effectively.

Building on the success of the Take a Step for Diabetes campaign in 2013, all breakfast events will be submitted and showcased on a custom online platform that will feature an interactive map displaying all the events taking place around the world. The platform will also allow users to submit a healthy breakfast recipe and share it with the world.

Both individuals and groups will be able to participate and special prominence will be given to the events with the most participants. Custom communication materials with the blue circle will also be developed and made available online for use in local activities.

The Go Blue for Breakfast campaign and platform will be launched shortly.

CITIES CHALLENGED TO BE "DIABETES AWARE"

World Diabetes Day 2014 will also see the launch of a new initiative that will challenge cities around the world to show that they are committed to creating a healthy urban environment. IDF is joining forces with the European Connected Health Alliance (ECHAlliance) to create a global network of "diabetes aware" cities using mobile health tools to promote diabetes awareness and support.

A “diabetes aware” city will demonstrate that all sections of the community are committed to creating a healthy urban environment. Local public services, businesses and institutions will demonstrate that they understand challenges faced by people with diabetes and those at risk. This may include providing appropriate nutritional information in restaurants or city authorities ensuring green spaces are safe and accessible for exercise.

Using mobile health tools and apps, key stakeholders in city life will be able to target diabetes aware options to those at risk of diabetes and those with the disease.

An expert group is currently being established by IDF and the ECHAlliance to draw up the scheme. It will include representatives from business, NGO and mHealth sectors amongst others.

Pin a Personality: following the high demand and interest shown in 2013, we are pleased to continue our “Pin a Personality” campaign to further raise diabetes awareness through the blue circle. If you know one or more public figures in your local community that are willing to support the diabetes cause, register online and we will send you a pack of 10 blue circle pins to participate in the campaign.

Follow the campaign: there are various ways to follow the World Diabetes Day campaign. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter and discover new information and materials as they become available. We encourage you to interact with our ever-increasing number of followers, and share ideas and experiences that can make our combined awareness activities more impactful and effective.

Are you already doing something to promote healthy eating habits in your community? Do you have a healthy recipe that you would like to share? Let us know through Facebook and Twitter and we can feature you in this newsletter.

OFFICIAL WORLD DIABETES DAY PARTNERS

Partners of the International Diabetes Federation help make World Diabetes Day a global success by providing valuable support for many of the activities taking place around the world. The Federation is pleased to have the support of the following partners for World Diabetes Day 2014: